Chilko Experience: Luxury in British Columbia’s Wilderness

Have you heard of the Chilcotin wilderness region of British Columbia?

No?

Even most Canadians don’t know of it, so you’re not alone.

The Chilcotin is 32 million acres of wilderness with 1,000 hearty residents (barely one for every 50 sq. miles). Within the Chilcotin is the Chilko Valley.

Now throw in the highest and largest freshwater lake in Canada – Chilko Lake.

It’s a “55-mile long, 1,000-foot deep, clear-as-truth, miracle of glacial run-off,” says Eat Pray Love author, Elizabeth Gilbert, in a Travel + Leisure article on British Columbia.

Then think of a river – the Chilko River, which flows from Chilko Lake – with world-class fly fishing and top white-water rafting.

In the fall, a million sockeye salmon journey up the river to spawn, and dozens of grizzly bears come to its banks to dine before winter.

Surround all this with millions of aspens that, in autumn, turn fiery orange and red colors.

Here in this magnificent wilderness tract is where you find the luxury estate called the Chilko Experience Wilderness Resort.

Owned by hosts Phil Huston and wife, Anne, the $10 million estate offers accommodations for 12 guests in six log and timber homes.

Stays are all-inclusive.

At the Chilko Experience Wilderness Resort, chef-prepared meals are included, along with an open bar and all guided activities.

Think upscale “all-inclusive” – the food, accommodations and service are truly exquisite at some all-inclusive lodgings.

If you’re a died-in-the-wool urbanite, this 25-acre wilderness resort will be a complete departure from your life in the fast lane.

Forget dealing with commuter traffic and irate bosses.

You wake up instead to days of birdsong, hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing – even grizzly bear viewing – where you won’t bump into another soul.

Then when your day’s adventures are over, you go back to “roughing it” at the “Four Seasons” (as one guest has called the Chilko Experience).

Phil adds that the Chilko Experience excels at what it does because of what it’s not – a lodge.

“We are an estate and think and operate like one, and that’s the experience we provide,” says Phil.

“Most lodges host clients in rooms and are run by managers. Estates host friends in private homes and are operated by owners. There’s a big difference.” 

Check out what guests say on TripAdvisor, and you’ll get an idea.

About those log and timber homes…

The cabins, er, homes, you stay in have their own story to tell.

Phil first fell in love with the Chilcotin in the late 70’s when he discovered the region on a trip to Alaska.

Some 20 years later, he returned and bought an old guest ranch for his family to enjoy as a summer residence. That got him hooked on nature, and he and Anne hired Pioneer Log Homes of B.C. to build an estate for their family and friends to enjoy.

Pioneer happens to be world-renowned as a log home builder – even shipping log homes to the president of Kazakhstan!

The master logsmiths and artisans at Pioneer went on to become TV stars on Canada’s top-rated reality show, Timber Kings. It aired for four seasons in over 60 countries.

But back to the Chilko Experience Wilderness Resort…

Five years after Pioneer started work, the estate was complete.

The result is three log and three timber-frame homes, hand-crafted with rustic luxury finishes like log beams, denim pine, slate floors and steel roofs.

Going wild around Chilko Lake

Now you want to know more about going wild in the outdoors, right?

“Exploring the length of Chilko Lake on a warm sunny day by cabin cruiser is unforgettable,” says Phil. “We stop at points of interest, test the fishing and enjoy a picnic lunch.”

And we haven’t forgotten about those grizzly bears! Bear viewing at Chilko Lake is something that naturally happens.

Or you can chase eagles on a thrilling jetboat ride on the Chilko River, past steep canyon walls and grasslands with deer.

How about horseback trail riding? Riding through fields of wildflowers to a hidden mountain-top fossil bed takes a full day, but is well worth the effort.

Chilko also has 500 miles of backwoods to explore by ATVs – probably the favorite guest activity.

And then there’s the fishing. Fancy catching plump, healthy rainbow trout? You got it.

Other water activities include kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding and swimming.

And if you want to learn how to fell timber like a lumberjack, shoot a rifle like Annie Oakley or throw an axe like a Viking warrior, Phil and his team can help you with that.

“Real hands-on, laugh-your-tail-off fun is what we do,” says Phil.

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Disclosure: This post has been brought to you in partnership with the Chilko Experience. We haven’t visited the Chilcotin region, but we’ve explored other wilderness areas in our province (like the wild west coast of Vancouver Island for storm watching in Tofino in winter and the awesome Joffre Lakes hiking trail) – and we can tell you these are pretty special. So we’re confident that the Chilcotin, combined with the Chilko Experience Wilderness Resort, would satisfy any craving for remote wilderness adventure, rewarded by a dollop of luxury.

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